Holding clip for tie plates and rails



Jilly 29, 1941. w LL 2,251,196

Patented July 29, 1941 UNETED- ST'ES 1 Claim.

This invention relates to fastening means for railway rails, and has particular reference to improvements in spike-fastened spring clips to hold rails yieldably seated either directly upon crossties or upon tie-plates interposed between the ties and the rails, whereby the rails, which, as is well known, have traffic-induced wave motions imparted thereto, are permitted to move vertically relative to the ties, or relative to the tie-plates, as the casemay be, substantially without imparting road-bed disturbing pumping movements to the cross-ties and substantially without loosening eifect upon the spikes.

One special object of the invention is to provide a spring clip for the purpose stated which is specially designed for use with ordinary driven spikes and which is eiiective to hold a rail yieldably seated either directly upon a cross-tie or upon a tie-plate, as the case may be, as well as to hold the tie-plate, if same is used, effectively seated upon the cross-tie.

Another special object of the invention is to provide a spring clip for the purpose stated which may be produced cheaply and easily, which is efficient in use, and which is formed so that it has a desirable extensive, uniform bearing engagement with the underside of the head of an ordinary driven spike, whereby it exert uniform upward pressure against the spike head without tending to cant the spike and with least tendency to 1005- en the spike, and whereby it is held securely in proper position relative to the spike, the rail and the tie or plate as the case may be.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of features as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawingsswherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views:

Figure l is a transverse section illustrating a cross-tie, a tie-plate seated thereon, a rail seated upon the tie-plate and a spike fastening a, clip, constructed in accordance with the invention, in holding relationship to the tie-plate and the rail.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the assembly shown 7 seated upon the cross-tie A, C designates a portion of a rail seated upon the tie-plate B, D designates anordinary driven spike extending through a hole in the tie-plate B into the cross-tie A, and E designates, generally, a spring clip constructed in accordince with the invention and held by the spike D in operative fastening relationship to the tie-plate B and the rail C. I According to the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the clip E comprises a single length of spring steel or other suitable resilient material of any suitable thickness and width bent into substantially C-shape as viewed in side elevation so as to includea'n upper arm H), a lower arm II and a bight portion l2 connecting said arms together at their outer ends. Moreover. the upper arm lll'e'xtends from the bight portion I2 first inwardly and downwardly, as indicated at l3, and then inwardly and upwardly as indicated at l4, while the lower arm ll extends from said bight portion first inwardly and upwardly, as indicated at l5, and then substantially horizontally inwardly as indicated at l 6. The arms In and H are vertically spaced apart and have holes I! therein through which the shank I8 of the spike D is passed prior to being inserted'into the usualspike-hole IS in the tieplate B and being driven into the tie A. The holes I! are located substantially centrally of the arms I0 and II and the spike D in its applied position is disposed against or closely adjacent to the edge of the base flange 20 of the rail C. Thus, in the applied position of the spike, the free, inher end portion of the lower arm II overlies the rail flange 26 and the connecting portion between said lower arm II and the bight portion l2 overlies the tie-plate B outwardly of the spike shank I8. Because of the lower arm H being extended first inwardly and upwardly and then substantially horizontally inwardly, said arm is adapted to clear the usual rib 2| of the tie-plate B against which the edge of the base flange 20 of the rail abuts. Accordingly, by driving the spike D until its head 22 engages the upper arm l0 and forces said arm downwardly relative to the lower arm, spring energy is stored in the clip E and the inner and outer end portions of its lower arm I l are caused to bear against the top of the base flange 20 of the rail and the top of the tie-plate B outwardly of the spike, respectively. Thus. the.

tie-plate is held seated against the top of the tie and the rail is resiliently held seated upon the,

clined slightly downwardly and outwardly. Thus, it acts as a strut between the head of the spike and the tie-plate to maintain the tie-plate firmly seated against the tie without detracting from the resilient holding of the rail by the free, inner end portion of the lower arm II. More-- over, the said bight portion [2 acts in the nature of a stop to indicate to the trackman when to stop driving the spike following energization of the clip so as to avoid forcing the upper arm [0 excessively downwardly relative to the lower arm Ii. Further, it is to be noted that the stiff strut formation provided by the member [2, which is preferably inclined downwardly and outwardly, definitely functions to prevent the spike from canting or pulling outwardly, and the fulcruming of this outer strut portion of the clip directly on the tie plate definitely tends to throw the spike head inwardly toward the rail. This feature of the clip construction combined with the full bearing of the spike head within the spike head seat in the upper arm, permits the flexing or yielding of the clip without loosening of the spike or turning of the clip, while at the same time permitting the clip to be placed under as much spring pressure as desired after the outer strut part of the clip is seated firmly on the tie plate.

By extending the upper arm i0 first inwardly and downwardly and then inwardly and upwardunder side portions of the head 22 of the spike D. As a consequence, the clip not only is held by the spike head against rotation relative to the spike regardless of the size and shape of the spike holes I! in the arms Ill and H, but, also, is held properly positioned relative to the spike, the rail and the tie-plate or tie, as the case may be, depending upon whether a tie-plate is or is not used. Moreover, because of the uniform bearing engagement of the arm H] with the underside of the spike head the clip has little or no tendency to cant the spike and least tendency to loosen the same, while at the same time, uniform pressure of the clip against the spike, the rail and the tie-plate or the tie, as the case may be, is assured.

Obviously, the clip holds the rail effectively in place and yet permits the rail to move vertically relative to its supporting ties, whereby undesirable pumping of the ties in the road bed is substantially eliminated. Moreover, the clip serves materially to reduce tendency of the spikes to become loosened as a consequence of the wave motion to which rails are subjected in service.

According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings the clip is of the same general construction, and has the same general mode of operation, as the clip shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that it is designed for use with a spike that is applied with the nose of its head directed outwardly, as sometimes is desirable, rather than inwardly in accordance with usual practice, and except that its bight portion I2 is straight instead of bowed as in the Figs. 1 and 2 construction.

According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 4 the clip is devoid of a lower arm. extending inwardly from its strut portion l2 and said strut portion is directed slightly outwardly at its lower end to bear against the upper face of the tie plate or the tie as the case may be, while the inner end portion of the arm I 0 is directed first downwardly and then outwardly as at 23 in underlying spaced relationship to the said inner end portion of said arm in to bear yieldably against the base flange 20 of the rail.

According to the Figure 5 embodiment of the invention the clip is of the same general construction, and has the same general mode of operation as the clip shown in Figs. 1 and 2, ex-- cept that the inner end portion of the upper arm I0 is extended inwardly and downwardly, as indicated at 24, beyond the inner end of the lower arm II to also bear yieldably against the base flange 20 of the rail. This form of the clip holds the rail more securely and less yieldably than the forms of the clip illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4.

According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6 the clip is devoid of a lower arm, as in Fig. 4; the bight portion I2 is directed slightly inwardly at its lower end to bear against the upper face of the tie-plate or the tie, as the case may be, and the inner end portion of the arm [0 of the clip is directed downwardly and inwardly, as indicated at 25, to bear yieldably against the base fiange of the rail.

According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 7 the construction is the same as illustrated in Fig. 4, except that the arm 19 of the clip is designed for cooperation with a spike having the nose of its head directed outwardly and except that the strut portion l2 of the clip is straight instead of bowed.

According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 8 the construction is the same as illustrated in Fig. '7, except that the inner end portion of the arm in is not turned downwardly and outwardly, but is extended downwardly and inwardly, as in Fig. 6, to bear against the rail flange.

As illustrated in Figs. 4 to 8, the shank [B of the spike D has its upper end portion oifset outwardly relative to its lower end portion at a point spaced downwardly from its head a distance such that when the spike is driven to its operative position the upwardly and inwardly facing shoulder 26 at the inner side of the shank formed by offsetting the same, substantially alines with the under face of the tie-plate B. Thus, as the tie plate works outwardly it cooperates with said shoulder 26 to hold the spike against upward loosening movement. Such a spike may be used with any form of the clip.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

Means for holding a rail yieldably seated upon the tie plate, comprising a plate of spring metal bent upon itself to provide a lower spring arm, an upper spring arm overlying said lower spring arm and spaced a distance above the latter, and a bight portion connecting the said two arms together at their outer ends beyond the spiking position, the said upper spring arm being bent downwardly into substantially V-shape corresponding to the under-formation of the spike head and providing a seat for the latter, the said lower spring arm being arched upwardly from a point outside of the spiking position into overlying relation and contact with the rail flange, and the said bight portion which connects the two arms being approximately straight to form a. stifif strut adapted to have rigid engagement with the upper side of the tie plate, both of the said spring arms having vertically aligned spiking openings at an intermediate location between the outer strut portion of the clip and the inner unconnected end portions of the spring arms as and for the purposes specified.

GEORGE W. MULLER. 

